The Hero Tonight
by lajulie
Summary: On the way to Bespin, Leia and Han consider an alternative future. Originally posted on Tumblr in response to two different drabble prompts: "Could you be happy, here, with me?" and "I don't need to be the hero tonight."
1. Could you be happy, here, with me?

_Originally posted on Tumblr in response to a drabble prompt: "Could you be happy, here, with me?"_

* * *

"Credit for your thoughts, Sweetheart."

Leia was leaning back in the booth at the dejarik table, her bare feet propped up on a crate, Han's borrowed shirt hanging loosely on her shoulders. They were starting to run out of things to fix on this ship, so these quiet afternoons were becoming more and more frequent.

She sat up a bit and idly stirred the tea she'd been drinking. "I was just thinking," she said.

Han grinned and leaned in closer. "I know that. The credit's to find about _what_."

Leia sipped her tea and leaned back again. "Hmm," she said noncommittally.

Han frowned and held back a little. _Maybe I've stepped in it_. "Heavy thoughts, or not so heavy thoughts?" he asked.

She looked at him carefully before answering. "Actually," she said, "I was having a little fantasy."

"Oh yeah?" He drew closer again, raising an eyebrow.

Leia shook her head, though she was smiling. "Sorry, Sweetheart," she said, imitating his usual speech pattern, "not that kind of fantasy."

"Huh," he said. He scooted closer to her, putting up his feet next to hers. They were both quiet for a few minutes.

Not looking at him, she spoke again. "What if we just ran away?"

"Ran away?"

"After Bespin. After we get the ship fixed. What if we just—never went back to the fleet?"

Han moved to put an arm around her, but all he said was, "Huh," again.

"They've probably already moved on from the rendezvous point. Who knows whether we'd even be able to find the fleet at this point," she reasoned. She leaned into Han's shoulder. "We could just go on the run together."

"You and me," he said.

She nodded. "And Chewie, as long as he still wants to."

"He goes where I go. We should take him home to visit, though."

"We could do that. I've never been to Kashyyk." Leia seemed to really be getting into this idea. "Maybe we could hide out there for a while."

"Malla would like you," Han said. "Probably better 'n me," and Leia laughed. "So, we'd just run around the galaxy?"

"Maybe pick up a smuggling job or two to pay the bills," Leia said, snuggling closer to him. "Keep this old ship from falling apart."

"Fix 'er up a little, maybe win a race or two," Han suggested.

"Ah, that's the spirit. That reminds me—" she said, punching him playfully in the arm— "you're supposed to be teaching me how to fly this thing."

"Hey, 's not my fault we keep getting distracted," he said, giving her a gentle kiss on the neck.

She arched a brow at him. "It's a little bit your fault we keep getting distracted," she said, and then promptly disproved her own point by pulling him down into a kiss.

After a few minutes, he pulled away and looked at her, suddenly struck with the seriousness of their situation. "Could you be happy here, with me?" he asked.

She blinked at him, and got that look she always did when she was considering something carefully. So, even though she seemed like she was surprised by it herself, he believed her when she said, "You know, I think I could. I really do."


	2. I don't need to be the hero tonight

_Part 2 - The conversation gets real. Prompt: "I don't need to be the hero tonight."_

* * *

It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon, snuggling together behind the dejarik table and envisioning how they'd spend their time if they never returned to the Alliance.

"Just think," Leia said. "No High Council."

"No shitty rations," Han said. Leia looked at him. "Okay. _Fewer_ shitty rations."

"Definitely," she agreed. "You're a good cook. Maybe you could teach me."

"Flying lessons and cooking lessons. I think I could handle that," he said, grinning. "Oh yeah—no more ice planets."

"For certain. Though we'd probably be better at keeping each other warm, now."

Han shook his head, chuckling at her. "Best pickup line on Hoth, and I never got to use it on you." Leia elbowed him in the ribs, then went in for another kiss.

They held each other quietly for a while, then Han had to go and throw cold water on the whole thing.

"Y'know, there's one problem with your little fantasy, here," he said, stroking her hair gently. "It wouldn't last."

Leia pulled back from him, surprised. "What do you mean? We—wouldn't last?"

Her earlier admission that yes, she truly believed she could be happy here with Han had been the closest she'd come yet to saying those three words, the ones she felt but couldn't quite get out of her mouth. The same words that had fallen freely from his lips throughout this trip—but did they mean nothing after all?

"Sweetheart, 'm not saying that, no. Not _us_. The running away thing, that's what wouldn't last."

She looked at him, her eyes doubtful.

"Think about it. We'd make it maybe six weeks doing the whole running around the galaxy thing. And don't get me wrong, it would be great. But 'bout a minute later we'd be starting rebel cells and freeing slaves and saving pittins and whatever else needs doin'."

Leia nodded, but didn't say anything.

He took a deep breath, and continued. "I've seen a lot of bad shit, and I spent a long time pretending it wasn't there. Had to, to get by. You have to do something about it," he said. "You can't help it."

"No escape, eh?" Leia said ruefully.

Han tipped her chin up to look at him. His eyes were soft. "You give a damn, Leia. It's just who you are. 'S why I love you," he said, and kissed her.

Of all the times he'd said those words on this trip, this was the time Leia would most remember, and treasure.

"And hell—you make me want to give a damn, too."

Leia clutched him tightly. Suddenly the reality she'd been staving off for the last few hours was running back in, and she didn't want it, she didn't. But she knew he was right. "I still want to run away," she admitted, holding back a sob.

His arms were warm, comforting, and his voice was soft again. "Nothing wrong with that. And y'know, just because we're gonna go back _sometime_ doesn't mean we couldn't still play hooky for a little while. Even after we get the ship fixed."

His eyes were wet, too, but he was smiling at her in that way that made her melt. She nodded.

"And for now, we're both right here," he said. He put a palm gently on her cheek. "I don't need to be the hero tonight. And neither do you."


End file.
